I can guran-damn-t you this will be the last year you get that rate!!!!

I guran-damn-t you that you are right!
I spent more on the rates last year doing the Waterfront Tri.

so i take good price?

how far is the transition area from the Chatanoogan hotel? Looks like the finish is going to be about a mile away or so?

How long till you think they catch on? I would print the reservation with the 2014 date so they later do not say you meant 2013..................I work in a faith based ministry witout pay, I can only afford to do becasue of my friend in Chat.......I am going to keep a copy of all you guys names getting rooms and forget coffee, you all pitchin in for dinner ;O)

Both are about a mile, assuming the transition area is in same place as waterfront tri.

Springhill Suites by Marriott is the one I am looking at. Right on the water, and at the end of the park where transitions would probably be, or Courtyard, Residence Inn and Hilton Garden Inn are 1-3 blocks from finish.

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

I just booked the Chatanoogan as well. I did read in the terms and conditions sections that 'rates are subject to change'. So I'm assuming they could retroactively charge a higher rate.

didn,t happen to me in cda in 2003. Hopefully not to you. They do not know who is coming in for a race so its a bad idea to do. Once they have a history of blocked rooms for an event then corporate steps in with scheduling the following year

I have stayed at Hilton and Doubletree - both are close to trans. and finish. They aren't taking reservations at the moment online. Might be worth calling.

I just called doubletree and they will not start accepting reservations for September 26th, 2014 until October 3rd, 2013.
My plans are to hold onto the Chattanoogan reservations until the other hotels open up booking, and if I can get something near the water at an equal price, then I will move there. Reservations can be cancelled without penalty up to within 24 hours.

Yeah. I am a big Marriott fan and the Residence Inn is booking 50 weeks before the date. Wondering how others are booking early, but would rathe be downtown for the family. I gave up 140.6 after my son was born but this will be a fun race. So much to do in Chattanooga and my wife will be happy. Don't really care about the swim down stream or lack of hills on the bike, 140.6 miles is still long and plenty of people blow up no matter what the course profile is. Gonna be fun regardless.

I must be spending too much time on Facebook, I was looking for the 'like' button on your post :)

This has come up before on this thread...Louisville is nearly the same distance from Asheville as it is from Chattanooga (350 miles vs. 300 miles). If you prefer Asheville to Chattanooga, good on you, but proximity of one vs. the other to Louisville isn't a valid reason for that preference.

Thanks. I read all these posts and laugh at all the positions people take. In the end find the race that works for you and sign up regardless of brand. For me it is about family being happy on race day and having something to do for 11 hours. This is a great venue for that. Kids museum will burn 2-3 hours on the bike. Pool at the hotel is awesome for another hour. IMAX and aquarium does the trick for portion of the run. Plus good food and people in Chattanooga are awesome. Travelled there a few times and we had a blast. From Atlanta only 1.5 hours and zero travel costs! See you there!

coffee? Heck at these rates I will buy you breakfast AND coffee. thanks again

But if you're coming from the east coast Asheville is much closer. From my perspective, an Asheville race would attract a lot more east coasters, thereby not negatively affecting the Louisville participation as much.

I agree that Asheville is closer to the coast than Chattanooga, and I definitely wanted the race in my back yard, but I think as mentioned earlier, the sheer logistics of trying to move 2.5-3K athletes from downtown to Lake Lure and start a race like that at 7:00, and the associated loss of the 'race village' feel with that separation actually makes Chattanooga a better venue. It looks like they will still have to transport people several miles up the river, but that is much simpler on a large 4 lane road then 30 miles on mountain roads. It is close enough that family/spectators can walk a lot of the distance to the swim start easily right along the bank of the river.

Also, people keep calling this a flat bike course. I know they have left out the big climbs in the area, but from my experience visiting Chattanooga, there is really nothing flat around there. It might not be straight climbs, but it certainly is not IMFL or B2B.

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

B2B is like that and I didn't feel that way, the party downtown and at the battleship was pretty nice.

Yeah, but Battleship is a few miles across town. I think people underestimate that Lake Lure to Asheville is around 30miles on a 2 lane road curvy and hilly enough to have switchbacks. 3K people on buses to the start or all the family members driving back seems like a mess to me and not equivalent to B2B, Bone Island, or the 2 miles upstream in Chattanooga.

https://maps.google.com/...&mra=ls&z=12

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"Some folks plan for the optimum race, others like to get upset when others out plan them. "

All you yahoos just booked out the damn weekned!

The city buses do a great job of bussing athletes up-river for the waterfront tri - I'm sure IM will do the same. Its a continuous and smooth flowing process...they have it nailed down pretty well already.

The Chattanoogan?

ok i am marking this post, if you are still on here next year i will ask for the breakfast ; )